True Love
by Anka7995
Summary: Marlene is having a bad day, but not for long as Sirius has planned something for her. Fluff. SiriusxMarlene


**A/N(1): **_Written for the Marauder's Era Challenge and Obstacle Course Competition._

_Prompts used: _

I am sorry

Survival –Eminem

Potions book

Amazement

Friendship

Hogwarts

"You are a Ravenclaw?!"

**_True Love_**

"Ouch." Marlene groaned as she slipped in the Hogwarts hallway the second time the day. The books in her hands flew all over the place. She tried to get up and winced as she felt a sharp stinging pain in her knee.

"Great..." She muttered as she got up gingerly, balancing her body weight on her hands, "Cherry on the cake, really. First Lily cancels our study session and now this..."

"You alright?" A silky voice asked from behind her, soon a pair of arms appeared in her line of vision as the owner of the voice helped her in picking up her fallen books.

She gratefully took the books from him.

"Thanks, Sirius." She said with a smile, receiving a smile in return.

"I am sorry." Sirius said, she looked up at him with confusion evident in her eyes.

They had developed a friendship of sorts. Both of them had felt a bit left out, like a third-wheel, when Lily and James had started dating. Marlene was eternally grateful for the infamous Evans and Potter spats to stop, but she missed her best friend. Lily had not been so serious about anyone. She was really glad for her friend who had finally found the kind of love she wanted and deserved. Marlene terribly wished that she had someone to love her like James loved Lily.

An image of Sirius flashed in her mind, when she thought about love and she shook her head trying to shake away the thought. Her friendship with Sirius had started on a windy Hogsmeade day, when Lily and James had subtly asked for some alone time and Marlene and Sirius had run into each other in Honeydukes. Their friendship bloomed over the hate for cockroach clusters and love for sugar-quills.

"Uh... the slipping spell was meant for Peter but you came first." He said rubbing the heels of his shoes.

Marlene smiled at his guilty expression, "It's okay..." she said trying to hold back her laughter.

He looked up from his feet with a scandalised expression, "I am apologizing, McKinnon and you are _laughing_?"

"Please, Black... you looking all guilty is a funny sight. Though, it would make McGonagall's day if you look like that when she is scolding you over the latest prank." Marlene replied. She tried to take a step forward but winced as the pain in her knee made its presence known.

Sirius' retort was drowned on his lips as he saw the pain flit across her face. In a flash, he was by her side and had an arm round her waist to support her as she walked.

He felt her body tense at the contact but she relaxed quickly and flashed him another grateful smile.

"I am taking you to the Hospital Wing." He informed her and Marlene had no choice but to nod.

She gingerly stepped forward, her knee ached every time she took a step but Sirius did not leave her side.

After about ten minutes of silence Marlene asked, "Why are you pranking Peter? Aren't Marauders supposed to prank others than each other?"

Sirius smiled and chuckled, "We are having the 'Greatest Prankster' competition among ourselves." He told her, "And that is why the frequency of our pranks has decreased..."

"Oh." Marlene said, she will never clearly understand Marauders, especially Sirius. "So..." she said slowly, "What is your strategy?" She asked, Sirius always had a strategy when it came to Quidditch and Pranking.

"It's pretty simple really." Sirius said with a smirk, "_this is survival of the fittest, this is do or die, the winner takes it all so take it all_."

"What?" Marlene asked and then shook her head in an exasperated way, "No, don't tell me."

They walked talking about the latest Quidditch Match and the Transfiguration assignment.

Sirius pretended to be hurt and offended when he came to know that Marlene had asked Lily to come for a study session and not him. Marlene had just rolled her eyes.

"Wait, where are we going? Hospital Wing is the other way." Marlene asked.

"I know a short-cut." Sirius said, stopping in front of a portrait of a girl with brown hair and wearing a Victorian Gown.

"_Verus amor_" Sirius said to the portrait.

_True love_. Marlene translated and looked at Sirius, but his eyes were on the portrait.

The girl in the portrait blushed and bowed and the portrait swung open to reveal a narrow dark passageway. Marlene looked at Sirius doubtfully.

"Trust me, McKinnon." He said with conviction and she did.

They fell into a companionable silence as they walked further, with Sirius supporting Marlene.

Marlene used the time to think about the evolution of their friendships. They were really good friends, now. But before that, they wouldn't give each other a second glance.

Marlene was a Ravenclaw and Sirius a Gryffindor. She was shy and bookworm and Sirius was the popular guy, who can be described as anything but shy.

She forced him to study; he made her come to the Gryffindor Quidditch games.

Sometimes, Marlene couldn't help but be amazed that the two of them are friends. The two were poles apart but there was never an awkward silence between them. It was like one filled the voids of the other.

She remembered him exclaiming, "You are in Ravenclaw?!" During their first actual meeting in Honeydukes, she had laughed and shook her head in amusement. They had spent the whole trip together and the guy didn't even know her house. Hogwarts was large, but she wasn't anybody, well she used to be some Ravenclaw girl but not anymore.

Befriending Sirius Black meant starting a war with all the girls from Sirius Black fan-club. Marlene would be lying if she said that the outraged fangirls didn't push her to maintain their friendship. Sirius was highly amused when he learned that.

They reached the Hospital Wing in silence both lost in their own thoughts. Madam Pomfrey fussed over Marlene as she scanned her leg and announced that it was a mild dislocation, fixing it with her wand.

Sirius took it upon himself to escort her to the Ravenclaw tower. They made their way to the Ravenclaw Tower, laughing and talking.

When they reached the Ravenclaw tower they looked at each other for a moment. Sirius looked like he wanted to say something but was second-doubting himself.

He looked nervous and Marlene was confused with this odd behaviour.

"Sirius?" Marlene asked.

"Your book." Sirius said, producing her Potions' Book out of nowhere and handing it to her.

She took it from him and looked at him oddly. He was looking at her apprehensively, like she would burst off any moment.

"What?" She asked.

"Open it." He said in a small voice and Marlene complied.

She opened the book to reveal text in enchanted form, "Go out with me?" it read, as the words popped out from the book.

She looked at Sirius who looked like he was awaiting a death sentence. She smiled at him and kissed him.

He was shocked at first but kissed her back.

"So is that a yes?" Sirius asked a bit breathlessly.

"Yes... that is a yes." She replied with a smile.

_Sometimes true love is just round the corner, but we are too lost looking for our stereotype of love that we don't even see it._


End file.
